Alaska FC 140, Wednesday. (5/16) – Alaska

Welterweight, Carlton Minus (7-0)

The competition isn’t top notch when you look at who Minus has beat but with the Alaskan scene still building Minus stands out as arguably the best prospect out of Alaska. Minus wants to keep his fights standing showing why he has five wins via TKO. Minus is a technical striker that will pop his jab over and over and will only throw a hook when he sees the opening. His footwork compliments his striking as he sticks and moves while circling out. His leg kicks are nasty. He still has a lot to prove but is worth the watch. He fights Justin Buchholz (16-10) who is an ex-UFC fighter and the biggest test for Minus to date.

One Championship, Friday. (5/18) – Asia

Strawweight, Angela Lee (8-0)

Arguably the best strawweight fighter outside the UFC. she has very good judo and fights like a vet on the mat. She has really good control and can go from position to position easily and has with six of her seven wins by submission. Lee’s grappling is her most advanced aspect as she has excellent back takes and finishing ability with the RNC but is dangerous everywhere -she even holds a rare twister submission victory. Her striking has been improving a lot and only getting better. She fights Mei Yamaguchi (17-10-1) who Lee has already beaten.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGDgkSgRlLo

Lightweight, Christian Lee (9-1)

The younger brother of strawweight prospect star Angela Lee, it could be argued that Christian is just as much of a prospect as his champion sibling. Lee is excellent on the feet being quick and dynamic with excellent footwork. His mat abilities are there when needed, holding four submission wins to date. At only 19, Lee could be a future star but just needs to keep on progressing at the rate he currently is. He fights Martin Nguyen (10-2) who has beat Lee so this is a good chance for Lee to show off what kind of improvements he’s been making .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uoy0ldl5WqU

Lightweight, Kharun Atlangeriev (11-0)

Atlangeriev is undefeated with all but one of his fights coming by the way of finish. On the feet, Kharun is a distance fighter. He uses long extended punches and throws many kicks, the latter being his best weapon on the feet. Kharun likes to get the fight to the mat where he relies heavily on timing him opponents coming in and exploding forward for a takedown. Kharun has six submissions but his ground and pound is key for him as he opens up his opponents so he can get the choke. He fights Eduard Folayang (18-6) who is coming off a loss but is a world class fighter who is by far the biggest test yet for Kharun.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uN-3aLBd1w

Combate 21, Friday. (5/18) – Mexico

Bantamweight, Vinicius de Oliveira (10-0)

Oliveira has some visible holes as he keeps his hands way too low and his takedown defense isn’t so great. What he is though is extremely fun to watch. Oliveira will throw everything at his opponents as the technique isn’t there but the output and creativity is. He loves to spin, fly, and launch himself off the fence. Say what you want about him but he has finished all of his opponents with nine of those being via TKO. Oliveira wants to keep the fight on the feet and if he would tighten up a bit he could be a solid prospect – he is only 22 so the sky is the limit. He fights Christian Quinonez (10-2) who is the stiffest test to date for Oliveira.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnBJQCRMcqY

Bantamweight, Eduardo Matias Torres (8-0)

Most likely the best prospect out of Chile, Torres holds an impressive record. The competition Torres has beaten hasn’t been so good but he’s disposed of his opponents the way he should. Torres is always bringing the forward pressure as he looks to force his way into the clinch. The wrestling needs some work but he does a good job at utilizing trips in the clinch. On the mat is where Torres wants it, where he is dominant. He has very technical grappling where he makes all the right moves and his BJJ IQ is perfect at only 23 year old. He fights Kevin Amador (10-8) who is on a five-fight win streak but plays into the style of Torres being a grappler.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqymY60szpc

FNG 88, Saturday. (5/19) – Russia

Lightweight, Alexandr Shabliy (17-3)

Shabliy, although violent, is also an efficient counter fighter, reacting well to his opponent’s advances. His takedown generally happen when his opponents try a takedown themselves, but he overpowers and throws his opponents to the mat. Once on the ground Shabliy is very dangerous, winning by armbar, choke, triangle and leg lock – great versatility. On the feet, he is calm but he brings the heat when needed, and if he catches his opponent then he will try his best to end the fight, whether that be with his strikes or knees. Shabily is an intelligent fighter that makes very few mistakes. He fights former UFC fighter Adriano Martins (28-9) who I think gets slept in round one and helps vault Shabliy toward the top of the lightweight rankings.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP-MVjQtjQE

Venator FC 4, Saturday. (5/19) – Italy

Featherweight, Emrah Sonmez (8-1)

After losing his fisrt profession fight, Sonmeze regrouped and has been undefeated in his last eight fights. Sonmez has a black belt in kickboxing, a blue belt in BJJ, and many years experience in freestyle wrestling as well as a background in amateur boxing before coming to MMA. With all his backgrounds in other sports, Sonmez brings them all together so well in MMA. Sonmez is no slouch anywhere but his wrestling is outstanding when it comes to the setups and execution and even the work he does on top is awesome. He fights Federico Mina (6-0-1) who is a good prospect but I feel his weak TDD will give Sonmez a path to victory.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HDKGN55jSg

ACB 87, Saturday. (8/19) – UK

Featherweight, Kane Mousah (10-1)

With only one loss to UFC fighter Marc Diakiese – no shame in that – Mousah has shown little striking so far but his wrestling is a problem for most opponents. The wrestling is excellent as well is the pressure on top once he gets there. Mousah is heavy on top and has huge power in his ground and pound, and he’s always moving to a better position staying busy and looking for a opening to end the fight. With five decisions he can go the distance no problem and can continue to take his opponent down with solid cardio. He fights Robert Whiteford (14-4) who is an ex UFC fighter coming off two wins since his release. This is a good test for Mousah.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNIjgqVP8bg

Bantamweight, Dominique Wooding (5-1)

He is a kickboxer mainly who uses quick kicks he attack the legs, body, and head – Wooding has shown a lot of different angles from which he can launch kicks. Wooding also uses Muay Thai and it may be his most dangerous weapon, with lethal knees that have been able to stun his opponents. Wooding is sensational at stand up all together – you’re not gonna find many guys who can outdo him striking. Wooding also has some underrated wrestling which makes him so more dangerous. Wooding had a weakness in his takedown defense in the past but has been improving in that area recently. Wooding is a major prospect. He fights Dean Garnett (9-2-1) who may be on a two-fight skid but is still an excellent prospect and Wooding has his hands full here.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gyxvx4W2cvQ

Welterweight, Ashley Reece (6-0)

Undefeated as a pro at 6-0, Reece also went undefeated as an amateur at 6-0. Reece is a bit one dimensional with his wrestling, as his goal always is to get his opponent to the mat. Reece does do good work in the clinch with dirty boxing and knees, he is a wrestler first though as when he gets his hands on his opponent they are going down. Reece is a strong dude shown in his fights with his takedowns and on the mat when he grabs a limb. Reece might not have too much on the feet but his aggressiveness and solid cardio are gonna be hard for a fighter to overcome. He fights Adam Proctor (8-1) who is solid but I don’t think he can outwrestle Reece.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_KiiEACC_A&t=600s

Featherweight, Alex Gilpin (10-1):

Gilpin is very sound when the fight hits the mat, leveraging impressive movement and strong control while also possessing the ability to smoothly take the back. Gilpin has a solid wrestling base and displays crafty trip takedowns and slams to get his opponent down. On the feet, Gilpin has speed, movement, and power but has problems setting up his strikes despite showing improvements. He fights Adlan Mamaev (4-0) who Gilpin should run through.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5QepC_yUjk&t=1498s

Lightweight, Tim Wilde (12-3)

Wilde is an excellent striker on the feet, the way he switches stances so often and cuts angles are better than almost anyone. He is quick, his timing is perfect and he shows great in-cage awareness. He has been taken down before but you never see him staying on his back as his scrambling ability is terrific and his takedown defense isn’t bad at all. Even with all the striking credentials he has, Wilde can use his wrestling skills when needed. He fights Alibek Akhazaev (8-2) who is coming off a win but Wilde has beat better fighters.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0e1e9iNcLY&t=1s

Bantamweight, Chris Miah (8-1)

Miah was a top prospect until he ran into Jarred Brooks in March of 2016 where he lost a unanimous decision. Miah took a little over a year layoff and came back getting back on the board with a big knockout win. He is a good fighter, he is very accurate at what he does from his punches to his takedowns and has some good hands and don’t over commit which I like but he likes to use his wrestling even more where he is really good with 4 of his 8 wins by submission. He fights Carlos Abreu (6-2) who is on a two-fight win streak and a good test for Miah.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lw5rnCCQkc

New Leauge Fights 10, Saturday. (5/19) – Texas

Welterweight, Troy Lamson (10-2)

At only 26, Lamson has a lot of experience with 11 pro fights and 17 amateur fights (17-0). First and foremost, Lamson is an excellent wrestler having wrestled at Michigan State University. The wrestling has translated nicely to MMA thus far. Lamson doesn’t tend to strike much but he holds power but then again, he finds it much easier to get the takedown get the back and unleash ground-and-pound. He fights Reggie Merriweather (13-11) who is coming off a loss.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev52xeHKELI&t=702s

Iron Boy MMA 11, Saturday. (5/19) – Arizona

Welterweight, Kyle Stewart (9-0)

Stewart is an accomplished guy on the regional scene winning titles in the amateur scene and winning 2 titles in his pro career. He also picked up a win in season 1 of the Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series, but didn’t earn a contract for his efforts. Stewart is solid as expected given his grappling experience. He has slick jiu-jitsu, he goes for submissions frequently but his passes and transitions are what’s best. Also on the mat, Stewart has shown huge ground-and-pound that has fight ending potential. Striking-wise, he favors his right hand. He has the one-punch power and stays active. He fights Chauncy Foxworth (8-5) who is coming off a win but Stewart should run through him.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi4unRUsRS8&t=1s

SCL 69, Saturday. (5/19) – Wyoming

Featherweight, Justin Gonzalez (6-0)

Undefeated as a pro, Gonzalez also gone undefeated as an amateur at 8-0. Gonzalez is still growing as a martial artist and if you look at his last fights beating guys with a combined record of 19-1, including ammy wrestling prospect Derek Brenon, is quite impressive. Gonzalez has always been an excellent wrestler who was an All-American but he’s been adding a lot of striking to his resume. J-Train could use better footwork but he stays aggressive and has a good right and left hook he throws but really just uses strikes to set up takedowns. Overall I think he has a good future. He fights Sam Toomer (11-2) who is coming off a loss but with a win here it proves how good Justin is.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiVYWk9QEws&t=1168s

Love MMA? We’ve got results, clips, and recaps of every major event worldwide in the Geek Guide!